1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration type driving device.
2. Related Background Art
Driving devices in which a piezo-electric element is vibrated to drive a rotor are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,548,090 and 4,325,264.
In these devices, a moving member cannot be driven in two-dimensional directions, and devices of the following types have been used as devices for driving the moving member in two-dimensional directions:
A device of the type in which guide rails parallel to the directions of two orthogonal axes (X-axis and Y-axis) on a planar surface are provided and the guide rail Y parallel to the Y-axis moves on the guide rail X parallel to the X-axis and a moving table moves on the guide rail Y in parallel to the Y-axis, whereby the moving table is moved on the planar surface in any direction, and a device of the type in which a moving table carrying a printing mechanism thereon moves on a guide rail parallel to the X-axis and printing paper is fed in a direction parallel to the Y-axis, whereby, the moving table is moved in the directions of the X-axis and Y-axis relative to the printing paper.
The devices of the types as described above have been chiefly employed in printing apparatuses.
In these prior-art devices, however, the moving table can be moved only within a fixed range regulated by the guide rails, etc., and where they are used as printing apparatuses, it is necessary to mount a plurality of moving tables each carrying a printing mechanism thereon in order to improve the printing speed, and this has led to greater complexity of the mechanism.
As another method, there has been a plotter in which a drive source is comprised of a rotative driving member such as a tire or a caterpillar and a motor for driving it and a printing mechanism is carried on the drive source. This method, however, requires the driving mechanism to be made precisely and sturdily in order to accomplish highly accurate servo, and this has led to a disadvantage such as the heavy weight or high cost of the driving mechanism.